My comments are obviously in Jest, but the Western Slope is really an unknown gem and I would love to have it stay that way; although growth is important, lets just keep on the low down.

Enjoyed my years in Denver trying out the city, but couldn't wait to get back home. I am a small town guy. Even 3-4 days in Chicago, while a blast, makes me claustrophobic.

I didn't take it personally, just keeping the joke going

I lived in Denver for 20 years (6-25), and I love going there to visit, but you are right about the WS being a gem. It's my home, and I can't think of anywhere else I'd want to live. No crowds, no traffic, and so much to do.

I'm sorry, but isn't Chicago known as one of the worst school systems in the country with the highest amount of student violence and shootings? Chicago has like 3 or 4 great prep schools, but I'm fairly certain a majority of their high schools are below average.

You can pick and chose, but to take a whole city as massive as Chicago and compare your experience at one school to a small suburb of the Denver Metroplex seems strange.

I'm just going by my experience. Can't say what the inner Chicago schools are because I never went to those schools. I went to two high schools in Cook county IL, I can say both are very good and competitive. In my class of 500 something students, the lowest GPA was a 3.5 out of 5 if I remember. My graduating class consisted of 50 something juniors that have earned enough credit to graduate early. Oh yeah, the area I lived wasn't a rich area either. I lived in a apartment and I was on the school lunch voucher program.

My cousins went to school in Aurora, and he never told me the schools had much of a high standard. Calculus wasn't even available. This was back in the late 80's early 90's, things can obviously be different now.

I went to Alameda high near Wadsworth and Mississippi, and there was no accountability. I ditch school everyday. I would go to gym and play basketball, lift weights, play tennis and no one ever questioned if I was part of the class. Teachers kinda just said whatever. I would sign agreements with the VP to excuse all my tardies and absences if i promise to show up to class. This is something I can never get away with in Chicago.

Solid summary of Chicago. This might be the winter that finally pushes me outódamp, windy cold and endless grey weeks that last into late March. Yesterday was foggy and grey, but it was 50 degrees, so I loved it (strongly considering moving to the Pac NW myself). But Chicago is back to freezing today, of course.

Beautiful city, lots of great and distinct neighborhoods, cultural attractions, etc. I may have a hard time moving away from the "real city" urban density after getting used to it. If you're a city person you just grow attached to that and everything that goes with it. I fall in love with the city all over again every summer. But I also share the OPs desire for a more outdoorsy culture like Denver or Seattle, where there isn't a five month period of hibernation where all you do socially is drink (not that that isn't fun some of the time.)

The hibernation is finally what did it for me. I'll really miss the street fests, beach volleyball, eating outdoors at great little BYOB restaurants, etc. in the summer, but the stuff you put up with the rest of the year just isn't worth it.

I already miss some of the benefits of living in such a dense urban area, but my lifestyle there was becoming more and more car-centric, due to changes with my job and friends living in the suburbs. Figured if I was going to be driving a lot, there was no point in the city life, and opted to go back to a place where there's good weather and lots of outdoorsy stuff to do. So far, so good...

The hibernation is finally what did it for me. I'll really miss the street fests, beach volleyball, eating outdoors at great little BYOB restaurants, etc. in the summer, but the stuff you put up with the rest of the year just isn't worth it.

I already miss some of the benefits of living in such a dense urban area, but my lifestyle there was becoming more and more car-centric, due to changes with my job and friends living in the suburbs. Figured if I was going to be driving a lot, there was no point in the city life, and opted to go back to a place where there's good weather and lots of outdoorsy stuff to do. So far, so good...

Any time I've been in Chicago during the summer it's been way too brutally hot for my taste. Maybe it was just bad luck. Or maybe there's just no good time of year to be had in Chitown.

Any time I've been in Chicago during the summer it's been way too brutally hot for my taste. Maybe it was just bad luck. Or maybe there's just no good time of year to be had in Chitown.

I've been to Chicago twice. Though I like the city well enough, I did not like the weather. I was there in February and July and there was not one day on either trip that I felt comfortable outside. But I am totally adapted to the dry climates of CO, UT, AZ and NV. I'll take a 105 degree day in any of those places over a 95 degree summer day in a place like Chicago or Houston. The reverse is also true for me, if its 32 degrees with high humidity the air feels as frigid as a 0 degree day in CO. Humidity sucks, people.

I guess it is all what you're accustomed to and get your body trained for.

I was a kid during the Loma Prieta Quake. Lasted seconds then went on to eating my cereal.

I've been through hundreds of quakes. Would take them over floods hurricanes tornados etc any day.

You must not read. These aren't normal quakes dude. You're used to slip-strike faults which the plates are just moving horizontally against one another. Those can be fairly destructive but nothing like a subduction zone fault. They're 2 entirely different types of quakes. What most people don't understand about earthquakes, even those who live in quake zones are usually clueless to this fact, is that each degree upwards is 10 times worse. So a 7.0 is 10 times worse then a 6.0. So the mega quake produces a 9.0, which would be 30 times more powerful then somebody's who's been through a 6.0 quake, but it doesn't end there, as the documentaries explain, the mega thrust earth quakes don't last seconds, try upwards of 4 to 5 minutes. They're nothing like what you've been through. People simply don't stop eating their cereal for a few seconds and then go back to eating. Experts say a quake of this magnitude would dwarf the destruction of Katrina. There's no tornado that could come even close to the damage of this type of quake.

And regarding the Yellowstone Caldera, yes that is going to happen as well, but that only happens once every 100,000 years. The mega quake that will hit the Pacific NW will happen way before the Yellowstone eruption occurs. The mega quake happens roughly every 300 years. But yeah, when that Yellowstone eruption happens, that's a game changer.

Have to chime in on this one. Spent the first 21 years of my life living in metro Denver, then spent the next 12 all over the planet....just about everywhere. Follow that up with 14 years in Atlanta. My folks lived In the PNW for 16 years as well during that time. Just moved back to Denver taking a position as Rocky Mountain Regional Manager for my company. All I know is, I can't believe it took me this long to come home. It is record cold here right now, but it still beats the crap weather of Upstate NY or the Midwest with the lack of sun. Same goes for the Pac NW. There is no comparison to the humidity of either of those places or the South in the summer time. Brutal! All that said, Denver has changed significantly. Cali has moved in and changed the vibe, and not for the better. However, I am loving being back. Got to spend the first three weeks working in Telluride. Prettiest box canyon in yhe Rockies. Enjoyed the hell out of the sense of wonder the guys on my team displayed almost daily over the view. Totally understand why you Western Slopers love it. Just can't eat the scenery! Looking now for a sublet in LODO as most of our work after the first of the year will be in metro Denver and want/need to get out of the corporate hotel. If anyone knows of somethings out there, drop me a pm if you would. Also fun to get back to a place where a Jeep isn't just a vehicular statements of who you are, but a necessity to get where you want to go. Get out here and don't look back, you won't regret it. God knows the only thing I regret is that it took me soon long. Wasted time.